In adoholik there's a collection of 20 print ads that were blatantly copied by other ad agencies. The article is fittingly called "Ctrl-C Ctrl-V Advertisements" and shows the originals next to the plagiarised ones. It's both pathetic and embarrassing. The article opens with:

There is nothing wrong in getting inspired from any original work in any creative field. It’s a form of flattery. But, doing a blatant copy and hoping not to get caught is both unethical and foolish in these times when the world is getting smaller day by day.

And that's precisely right. Taking ideas as inspiration is one thing, but just shamelessly copying them is not.

Disturbances in the wash

Hello. I'm Gabriel Ponzanelli and this is where I explore photography, design, technology, and other creative topics. My day job is in digital marketing and advertising, so themes around this will occasionally pop up. Learn more here.

Welcome!

If you'd like to get my articles via email, sign up to receive a weekly digest plus exclusive content that you won't find anywhere else on the site.

Email Address

I respect your privacy and will never share your e-mail address with anyone else.